It is, as Stephen Byers would agree, a good time to bury bad news. Mark Butcher may be pushing the bounds of decency with his untimely remarks about Ruchira Perera's action, but if England's cricketers have another half-cocked performance to get out of their systems, now is the time to do it. The speculation about David Beckham's metatarsal is almost at an end, and shortly before lunch on the second day at Edgbaston, the eyes of the sporting world will shift to Seoul for the curtain-raiser of the 2002 Football World Cup. English cricket is used to this quadrennial intrusion. Four years ago, during France 98, Angus Fraser and Robert Croft completed one of England's more astonishing jailbreaks of recent memory, digging their way out of an innings-and-369-run pit against South Africa at Old Trafford. The reaction – on that occasion thanks to Beckham's equally infamous (back)heel – was one of almost complete indifference.

In fact, it seems only an absolute shocker – a re-run of Lord's without the second act – will prise the nation's attention back to England's summer pastime, a fact that Nasser Hussain is all too aware of: "Football might be taking priority, but if we are 100 all-out I reckon we'll get a lot of the press." Sri Lanka, who have waited 18 years for a full series in England, deserve better than this.

The selection of Simon Jones was a valiant attempt to stir up some interest, though his prospects of making the final cut are slim. The son of a Test cricketer, he shares a birthplace with Croft, and a birthday – Christmas Day – with Marcus Trescothick. Omens indeed.

But Jones is one for the future, and the future for an untamed fast bowler does not begin in late-May, regardless of how the Lord's pitch behaved. Sri Lanka, as no-one in England can now doubt, have one of the finest batting line-ups in the game, and England must play to their strengths to match them.

Those strengths, as everyone knew until Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene prompted a mid-match rethink, lie in the subtleties of their seam and swing attack. There were pools of water on the Edgbaston outfield on Tuesday afternoon, a sure sign that the conditions will be more conducive than at Lord's, and it is inconceivable that Caddick and co. can be as toothless again.

Though Hussain and Duncan Fletcher are renowned for the continuity of their selections, one change has to be made – Dominic Cork must make way for Alex Tudor. Cork was England's most dependable bowler at Lord's, but he owed his relative success to snarling aggression rather than any of the subtleties for which he had been selected.

Tudor, by contrast, is running in tall after a successful winter at the ECB Academy – and is at last free of the pelvic problems that have dogged his development. "He's potentially one of the best cricketers in England," said Hussain. He has been ever since that Perth debut in 1998-99 – it's time to deliver.

In the second innings at Lord's, England's batsmen passed 500 for the first time in five years – and the top five all passed fifty for the first time in 64 years – so there can be no arguing with an unchanged line-up. Nevertheless, having Alec Stewart and Andrew Flintoff at Nos.7 and 8 is a luxury that few international sides could afford, especially if Mahela and friends continue their remarkable run of scores – eight first-innings totals of 500-plus in their last ten Tests. All the signs are that this will be a low-scoring match, but, of course, that was what was forecast last time around.

And then, of course, there is Muralitharan. Will he play, or won't he? Is he fit or isn't he? Either way, there is no doubting the psychological effect he has on his side – and the opposition. England devised an effective strategy against him on their 2000-01 tour, but they have been starved of quality spin bowling since before Christmas. And besides – like Shane Warne before every Ashes series – Murali has a new delivery to prey on the batsmen's minds – the offspinning flipper. It should be a fascinating tussle. Let's just hope that someone, somewhere, is watching.

Probable teams
England 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Michael Vaughan, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Nasser Hussain (capt), 5 Graham Thorpe, 6 John Crawley, 7 Alec Stewart (wk), 8 Andrew Flintoff, 9 Alex Tudor, 10 Andrew Caddick, 11 Matthew Hoggard

Sri Lanka 1 Marvan Atapattu, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Aravinda de Silva, 6 Russel Arnold, 7 Hashan Tillekeratne, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Charitha Buddika, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Nuwan Zoysa

Andrew Miller is editorial assistant of Wisden.com

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